Hogwarts' financial aid office, Stone Bridge Tower, 4th floor. Since Hogwarts has been privatized, the Ministry of Magic saw fit to open a financial aid office. While the Ministry fought long and hard in the House of Commons and the House of Lords, Hogwarts became private effective in 2013. The Hogwarts Privatization Act, as it was called, obtained Royal Assent on December 21st, 2012, and the Ministry has begun an informational campaign for the new financial aid and tuition structure in place. Here we see the financial aid office working out the financial aid packages, with one witch and one wizard manning the financial aid office:

"This is depressing; look at all those kids requiring financial aid to attend this place! I can't believe Hogwarts has been privatized!" moaned the first financial aid officer, Geoff, a little wizard about 5'1".

"Then again, this is a decision made by the Muggles who held seats in both Houses; I can't fathom any way possible where we wizards would have backed such a proposal. This year, we are given a 1.5 million galleon budget to allocate need-based aid" remarked the other financial aid officer, Marnie, a tall witch about 6'6". "Let me try some magic"

With about 60 staff members to pay, as well as supplies, the financial aid officers scramble to devise a formula so that they can send out financial aid packages before they can begin shopping for their school supplies. But the new acceptance letter to Hogwarts contains a form that allows one, with the right financial information, to apply for financial aid if one needed it. The super-tall witch, with her arithmancy skill, began processing all the financial aid applications using magic, in order to figure out how much will each financial aid recipient will receive.

"Are you done using your magic yet?" Geoff asked, with impatience in his voice.

"Almost there... almost there... done! Now I will award the financial aid packages!"

"I don't want anything to do with financial aid anymore. Since you're so good with financial aid, I will resign"

"Don't let the door hit you on your way! but now comes the hard part: writing out all those financial aid award letters."

Under the new financial structure, tuition, room and board came out to a hefty 3,000 galleons yearly. Some people will get full-rides, others will get partial rides, with no financial aid recipient receiving less than a quarter of a ride. But it really took just a couple of hours to write the 550 financial aid packages and to have them processed through the owlery, which is quite a walk from the financial aid office. With a pile of parchments to carry around, Marnie put them all in an old empty owl cage, in the dead of night, and then the financial aid packages have arrived to their recipients' homes.